The Best Of Barre Classes: 7 Long & Lean Moves

There are so many bars to choose from (and I'm not talk about the ones that serve vodka tonic). As a barre workout hopping regular, I've come to love each of the different classes signature cocktail (er, I mean...

There are so many bars to choose from (and I'm not talk about the ones that serve vodka tonic). As a barre workout hopping regular, I've come to love each of the different classes signature cocktail (er, I mean exercise).

What qualifies a workout as a “barre” class? Well you would think a ballet barre, but one of the ballerina sculpting workouts below dispels that notion. Most styles have drawn inspiration from The Lotte Berk Method and emphasize the
importance of form and alignment when performing low-weight, high rep exercises to sculpt long ballerina-worthy muscles. But that’s where the similarities end. From different props, philosophies and structures, here are some of the hottest moves from the top barre classes

The Bar Method

Description: Unlike other Lotte Berk Method spin-offs, The Bar Method’s program was designed under the guidance of physical therapists so that each position hits the right muscles right away without impacting underlying joints. It combines the muscle-shaping principles of isometrics, the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy and the intense pace of interval training.

Signature move: The Bar MethodTM Arabesque (pictured) isolates your glutes and the result is a rounder higher-sitting rear and longer-looking legs.

1. Stand a full arm’s length from your bar or piece of furniture. Then get your feet into position. Here’s how: Turn your feet into a wide V by turning our your hips and pressing your heels together. Everyone’s turn out is slightly different, so just turn out as far as you can. Keep your hips, knees and feet turned out to the same degree.

2. Soften both knees and lift one leg (your “working leg”), point your foot and rest it on the floor about 12 inches behind you. Maintain the turn-out in both legs and the slight bend in both knees.

3. Hinge forward at your hips as your simultaneously raise your working leg upwards until you feel a catch in your seat muscles. Ideally the leg you lifted will come up until it’s almost parallel to the floor.

4. Lift your head and upper torso by contracting the muscles just beneath your shoulder blades. Do not contract your lower back muscles.

6. Do 40 one-inch lifts for each leg. Be sure to keep your gaze forward, not downward. Your head is the weight you’re using to tone your upper back muscles.

Physique 57

Description: Physique 57® offers a modern take on Lotte Berk’s training. The class starts with a warm-up using heavy weights (but not too heavy) and less reps followed by a push up series which begins to incorporate all core muscles. The ballet barre is used for the thigh and seat sequencing (muscles will be feeling the burn). The class works on an overload then stretch/recovery format.

1. Start in a seated position, arms next to the body, palms on the ground, fingers facing forward.

2. Lift your seat off the floor and bring one knee towards your chest. As you bend your arms, straighten the leg.

3. As you straighten the arms, bend your leg back towards your chest. Keep pumping your arms as you bend and kick one leg at a time.

4. Perform 10-15 kicks each leg.

Core Fusion

Description: Core Fusion is based on the disciplines of The Lotte Berk Method, Pilates, yoga and orthopedic conditioning exercises that strengthen and stretch muscles as well as elevate metabolism for a continuous calorie burn. With a little less emphasize on thighs (but by no means less effective) Core Fusion also stresses abdominal and core work as well as flexibility.
Props: barre, hand weights, yoga blocks, play ground balls and stretch belts
Celeb following: Kyra Sedgwick, Brooke Burke, Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum and more
Signature move: Second Position Thigh Strengthener (pictured) targets the top of thighs, inner thighs and butt.

2. Bend your knees to lower your hips down towards knee level, the goal is to get your thighs parallel to the floor.

3. Lower down and up 20 reps. Move slowly with the goal being not to straighten your legs. To work more advanced, raise your heels and work up on the balls of your feet.

4. On the 20th rep, hold, brace your core, balance your body and raise your arms up along side your head. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat this set three times.

Ballet Beautiful

Description: Former New York City Ballet dancer Mary Helen Bowers originally launched Ballet Beautiful as a way to improve her performance while recovering from an injury. Drawing on her experience as a professional ballerina, the class builds upon the tenets of classical ballet training to help give non-dancers a long, toned and powerful body shape with beautiful posture-no barre required.
Props: none
Signature move: Ballet Beautiful Swan Arms (pictured) are an incredibly strenuous, yet beautiful exercise to tone your arms, shoulder center, without any weights at all.

1. Begin either by standing or sitting up straight, pulling in through the stomach and opening the chest.

2. Pull in through the stomach and open the chest. Keep the neck long and stretch the arms outside, to second position (like a wide bear hug).

3. Drop and bend the elbows down, lowering the arms. Then lift the elbows and raise the arms from the elbow.

4. Lower again and lift, keeping lifted through your center and open through your chest. Repeat 30 times.

Barre3

Description: Barre3 is rooted in yoga alignment and philosophy principles. The technique also draws from Pilates, Lotte Berk, Callanetics, dance and traditional fitness. While all barre classes emphasize form (form is everything!), Barre3 stresses alignment and posture. Most other barre based programs are traditional Lotte Berk inspired programs, but this class only has a few Lotte Berk postures (mainly in the leg work sequence). Using a soft ball to support the back, neck and hips during core work was a huge plus for me (and I’ve seen a few other barre based classes utilizing this support as well thankfully).
Props: barre, soft 9″ barre3 ball, 1-3 pound weights and yoga strap
Celeb following: Madonna
Signature move: The Barre3 Ball Hold is designed to strengthen the back body which is often weaker than the front body while also stimulating abdominal organs and improving digestion. The exercise is inspired by the bridge pose.

2. Press into the ball as you raise your seat and spine off of the floor just to your shoulder blades and hold. Focus on keeping your shoulder blades wide and rooted on the floor. Try not to squeeze your seat.

Description: Designed by former professional ballerina Kate Albarelli, Figure 4 draws from classical and contemporary ballet, The Lotte Berk method, Pilates and yoga. What makes it different is the sequencing which is designed to burn more calories and keep the heart rate eleveated. Most barre classes save the tough thigh burners for last, but Figure 4 tackles the tortuous sequence first, right after the ballet warm-up to work.
Props: double barre and floor barre, ring of fire (a Pilates ring), inner thigh ball, karate belt, memory foam cushion and light free weights
Celeb following: The class just launched this April, but it’s generating a lot of buzz in New York fitness circles!
Signature move: Muffin Top Melter

1. Place hands on an arm of a couch (or barre if you happen to have one stored in the garage). Back up until you are hinged forward and in a push up position. Bend both knees softly.

2. Keeping left knee bent, raise right leg up behind you. Bend the leg in half. Turn the right knee out but keep hips facing forward and keep right knee behind you.

3. Take right arm up, make a fist and bend the elbow. Keeping right knee bent, lift right hip up while tapping elbow back to the right glute.

4. Look back at the right side as you perform this. Come back to the original position and do again, never dropping the leg. Repeat for 20 times.

5. Finish in the open hip bent elbow tapping position and just perform mini taps for 20. 6. Repeat on other side.

Refine Method

Description: Although Refine Method has a barre, it’s the most
anti-barre class of the bunch. Leaning more towards athletic training with an eye towards aesthetic goals, Refine Method utilizes short, functional interval circuits with resistance rather than the traditional high-rep, low-weight philosophy. The creator, a former New York City Ballet dancer, has her ballerina clientele doing burpees!
Props: barre, proprietary progressive resistance pulley system, sliding discs, weighted balls and kettlebells coming soon
Celeb following: Rockettes, dancers from New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre
Signature move: Core Band Hold (pictured)
improves core stability and sculpts a tight midsection. Owner Brynn Jinnette says, “one of the primary functions of your abs is to stabilize your spine, yet, when most people train their core they focus on flexing or moving their spine, as in a crunch or sit-up which misses this important function (and can put stress on your discs).”

1. Attach a medium weight resistance band to a sturdy object, such as a door. Stand with your shoulders perpendicular to the door holding the band at your chest (stand far enough away that you feel tension).